Using lot quality-assurance sampling and area sampling to identify priority areas for trachoma control: Viet Nam

• Published in: Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 83; no. 10; pp. 756 - 763
• Main Authors: MYATT, Mark, NGUYEN PHUONG MAI, NGUYEN QUANG QUYNH, NGUYEN HUY NGA, HA HUY TAI, NGUYEN HUNG LONG, TRAN HUNG MINH, LIMBURG, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Genève Organisation mondiale de la santé 01.10.2005; World Health Organization; The World Health Organization
• Subjects: Age; Age groups; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the eye and orbit; Bias; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Control; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection - methods; Encuestas epidemiológicas; Epidemiology; Escuelas; Estudios transversales; Female; General aspects; Health aspects; Health Policy & Services; Health Priorities; Health Surveys; Holidays & special occasions; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Intervention; Male; Medical sciences; Methods; Miscellaneous; Muestreo; Niño; Polls & surveys; Population; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quality Assurance, Health Care - methods; Quality control; Recolección de datos; Sampling Studies; Sampling techniques; Schools; Trachoma; Trachoma - epidemiology; Trachoma - prevention & control; Tracoma; Viet Nam; Vietnam - epidemiology; Asia; Vietnam; Human; Priority; Samplings; Check; Trachoma; Conjunctiva disease; Epidemiology; Infection; Prevention; Eye disease; Quality assurance; Survey; Educational facility; Bacteriosis; Chlamydiosis; Sampling; Child; Public health; Data gathering; Viet Nam; Sampling studies; Muestreo; Etude section efficace; Estudios transversales; Trachome; Etude échantillon; Encuestas epidemiológicas; Enquête santé; Escuelas; Enfant; Data collection; Tracoma; Etablissement scolaire; Cross-sectional studies; Niño; Health surveys; Schools; Recolección de datos; Collecte données
• ISSN: 0042-9686; 1564-0604
• DOI: 10.1590/S0042-96862005001000012

To report on the use of lot quality-assurance sampling (LQAS) surveys undertaken within an area-sampling framework to identify priority areas for intervention with trachoma control activities in Viet Nam. The LQAS survey method for the rapid assessment of the prevalence of active trachoma was adapted for use in Viet Nam with the aim of classifying individual communes by the prevalence of active trachoma among children in primary school. School-based sampling was used; school sites to be sampled were selected using an area-sampling approach. A total of 719 communes in 41 districts in 18 provinces were surveyed. Survey staff found the LQAS survey method both simple and rapid to use after initial problems with area-sampling methods were identified and remedied. The method yielded a finer spatial resolution of prevalence than had been previously achieved in Viet Nam using semiquantitative rapid assessment surveys and multistage cluster-sampled surveys. When used with area-sampling techniques, the LQAS survey method has the potential to form the basis of survey instruments that can be used to efficiently target resources for interventions against active trachoma. With additional work, such methods could provide a generally applicable tool for effective programme planning and for the certification of the elimination of trachoma as a blinding disease.